Today’s News

Ashley Dupre Goes Wild with Lawsuit Against Joe Francis

In a potential reversal of seeming unlimited fortune for
Joe Francis in the aftermath of the Eliot Spitzer scandal, Ashley Dupré is suing the
Girls Gone Wild honcho for $10 million. Dupré, the call girl at the center of the scandal, filed suit Monday, claiming that Francis and his company had exploited her image and name without her consent, just to make a buck. (Check out a tamer version of
the video in question here.)

Following the former governor's scandal,
Francis unearthed footage of Dupré on a dance floor in Florida at age 17 as she's going, yes, just a little wild. Dupré, however, claims that Francis' crew pushed her into shimmying for booze, baring her chest for their cameras, and signing a release that she did not fully understand, much less have the legal authority to sign anyway, says
People.com.

Ever the diplomat, Francis (who was released from jail just months ago following a tax-evasion suit) said he was "surprised and in fact amazed" at the lawsuit. He added, "These images were taken in public places and contain no sexual contact. We expect to triumph in this matter."

Do you think Francis has the legal high ground here? Does Dupré? Or, as I suspect, is this really just a case of mutual exploitation gone wild?
- Anna Dimond